New reports place New Mexico at the top of the list of US States when it comes to drug overdose deaths. Painkillers were most often the cause.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) didn’t do any favors for New Mexico when it released its new report on drug overdose deaths in the US. Using figures from 2008, the most recent year for which state-by-state statistics are available, the report placed New Mexico at the top of the list for fatal drug overdoses.
That year, 35,450 people died of drug overdoses in the whole of the country. That figure constituted a national rate of 12 people per 100,000. But New Mexico’s statistic was more than twice this number: 27 per 100,000.
About three-quarters of the national deaths involved prescription painkillers. But New Mexico wasn’t even in the top ten of states for painkiller abuse. That dubious distinction went to Oklahoma, who came in at #9 on the list of overdose deaths. Still, one neurologist in Las Cruces, New Mexico was found to have distributed nearly three million pills to fewer than 4,000 patients.
New Mexico Treatment Options Include Methadone, Buprenorphine
A review of treatment facilities in New Mexico using the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration locator shows 97 facilities in the state. Many of these facilities are outpatient or short-term programs, and many of them rely on the administration of buprenorphine or methadone in treatment.
“These synthetic opiates do help people quit buying drugs illicitly to support their addictions, but they don’t help an addict achieve sobriety,” observed Derry Hallmark, Director of Admissions at Narconon Arrowhead, a premier drug rehab facility near McAlester, Oklahoma. “An opiate addict may dread going through withdrawal or may feel that he will never be able to escape the intense cravings for more drugs. These fears may make him think that these substitutes are his only choice. At Narconon Arrowhead, our graduates find they are able to experience a tolerable withdrawal. We also have an effective detoxification step that helps with cravings.”
Nutritional Supplements and Saunas Are Aids to Recovery
The tools used to make the Narconon withdrawal process tolerable include generous doses of nutritional supplements and gentle calming exercises known as “assists.” When a person in recovery becomes anxious or uncomfortable, assists quiet the body and mind and can help alleviate pain. And since nutritional reserves in the body are depleted by drugs and alcohol, restoring those reserves with generous doses of vitamins and minerals can help lift mood and energy.
The Narconon New Life Detoxification Program, one phase of the overall recovery program, uses saunas, nutritional supplements and exercise to enable the body to flush out old drug toxins. These toxic residues that remain after drugs are broken down and eliminated are shown to contribute to the triggering of cravings.
“Many of our clients who complete this detoxification remark on their brighter outlooks and the fact that they cravings are reduced or even gone,” said Mr. Hallmark. “We are very pleased to offer this recovery program to our western neighbors. In fact, people come from all over the United States to find recovery at Narconon Arrowhead. When people are no longer slaves to their addictions, then they are no longer at risk for overdose deaths.”
To find out more about how Narconon Arrowhead helps people eliminate the risk of overdose death, call 1-800-468-6933.